Why King Charles Is Unlikely to Attend King Harald of Norway’s Funeral—And Who Will Step In For Him

King Harald of Norway died at the age of 89 on August 28, and royals from across Europe are scheduled to attend his funeral on Wednesday, September 9. While everyone from King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima of the Netherlands to Denmark's King Frederik and Queen Mary are planning to travel to Norway next week, King Charles will likely not be amongst the guests.

Historically, British monarchs rarely attend funerals outside of close family members and friends, and Queen Elizabeth would send another member of her family as a representative when foreign royals, popes or other world leaders died. She broke tradition by attending the funerals of just two of the prime ministers who served during her lifetime: Winston Churchill and Margaret Thatcher.

The Royal Family has not confirmed who will be attending next week's service, and although King Harald was a second cousin once removed of King Charles, the British monarch is likely to continue his mother's funeral-going tradition.

Prince William has stepped in for his father at occasions like Pope Francis's funeral in April 2025, but there's another British royal with a closer connection to King Harald's family.

Princess Anne is actually the godmother of Norway's new monarch, King Haakon, making her a likely representative for The King. Two of Haakon's other godparents, King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden and Queen Margrethe of Denmark are scheduled to attend King Harald's funeral next week.

Per Tatler, Crown Prince Akishino and Crown Princess Kiko of Japan are also confirmed to be at the service at Oslo Cathedral, along with Crown Princess Victoria and Prince Daniel of Sweden, Prince Carl Philip and Princess Sofia of Sweden, and Princess Madeleine of Sweden and her husband, Chris O’Neil.

Although he might not attend King Harald's funeral, King Charles posted a moving tribute to the Norwegian royal on social media.

“It is with the most profound sadness that my wife and I have learned of the death of my dear cousin, King Harald V of Norway,” The King wrote in an Instagram post. “For thirty-five years, King Harald served his people with unwavering dedication, guiding Norway through times of great change with warmth and humility.”

“As Norway mourns the loss of so towering a figure, my whole family join in remembering a much-loved kinsman and friend whose kindness, compassion and deep sense of duty echoed from across the sea and across the decades,” he added.